Kennel cough can be treated in several ways. Since this condition is not considered as a major health concern in dogs, it can be treated right at home using natural remedies and over-the-counter medications. However, consulting with the veterinarian is always the first step to help you be better informed about your dog's condition. An appointment with the vet is necessary so that the right course of treatment will be followed.
Here are the common treatments for kennel cough in dogs:
Since kennel cough is mostly caused by bacterial and viral infections, antibiotic drugs are always the first line of treatment. However, the right dosage is dependent upon the age and the weight of your dog. You can't just purchase an antibiotic drug from a pharmacy and give it to your dog according to your own indications. Let your vet give you the right type of antibiotic. Follow the correct dosage and the proper schedule when administering the medicine. Go back to the veterinarian to assess the progress of your pet's recovery.
If you can give your dog Vitamin C supplements, it will recover faster. Like humans, Vitamin C can help greatly in relieving nasal and lung problems like coughs and colds. Vitamin C still is the best anti-infection drug. It can fight most types of infection inside the body, more particularly the ones causing kennel cough.
As much as 500mg of Vitamin C supplement per 10 pounds of your dog's body weight is required. However, Vitamin C is known to cause irritable bowel syndrome, so be careful of giving too much Vitamin C to your dog. You can keep on giving Vitamin C until the infection disappears.
When you bring your dog with kennel cough to a veterinarian, they will most likely give it an intranasal vaccine in order to prevent the problem from recurring. This is a good way to prevent future kennel cough attacks and to boost your dog's immunity to related diseases. Only a licensed veterinarian can perform this procedure so it's impossible for to you give it to your pet by yourself.
Inoculation is another way of treating kennel cough. In this procedure, a serum is usually administered inside the dog's body. The serum aims to boost the dog's immune system so that it becomes easier for the disease-busting cells to clear all the infections away. It primarily works like the intranasal vaccine. Unlike it, however, this one is usually administered intravenously.
These are the different courses of treatment you and the vet can provide to your dog the moment it get affected with kennel cough. See to it that your dog is recovering well from the procedures undertaken. See the vet for any questions you may have about the treatment process. It is very important that you monitor your dog's health so that a mild disease like kennel cough won't develop into a condition that can be very hard to reverse.